Taking Chances is Hard to Do
by tanningintheenglishrain
Summary: (LBD) After learning about what William Darcy has done for her family, Lizzie finds herself inclined to make amends for her past behaviour. She never thought, in a million years, she would have worse communication skills than him. This takes place after Ep. 94, "Revelations" and I kind of ran with my own ideas so please bare with me! *I do not own anything!*
1. Chapter 1

Lizzie lays in bed, staring at the ceiling.

It's late— really late— and she really should be sleeping but she can't. Not after what Lydia shared with her today. She is over joyed to see her sister head back to her natural overbearing and bubbly self. Although she is not altogether herself yet, Lizzie sees progress and can't help but thank God for this turn of events. God and...others...she quickly reminds herself.

She can't help but wonder why? Why had he done it? Why did he take it upon himself to help out her family?

A part of her (a part which she tried incessantly to push down and out of the way) hoped it was for her. Hoped that he still cared for her and could not stand her to be so upset and went out of his way to help. But she couldn't be so narcissistic. Plus, she probably squashed any feelings he may have had for her with the way she had acted.

As nice of thought (or fantasy) as it was, she sided with the idea that, as he had been in a similar situation with GiGi, he felt for Lydia.

Regardless of the reason, it was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for her…or, um… for Lydia. Nevertheless it was an amazing gesture and she needed to repay him somehow. Lizzie knew that he would never take any compensation even if she could afford it, but still, she had to make it up to him.

She chastises her behaviour over the last year. How could she have been so judgmental? How could she have been so proud, so arrogant, even? She misjudged him so severely that it made her nauseous to think that she had become worse than she had originally depicted him to be.

But now… now things were different and she knew that swallowing that pride and arrogance would be no easy task. She wasn't one for admitting her faults and her wrong doings. She usually battled to the death, holding on to any shred of argument she could manage.

However, this particular situation was different. She had no straws left to grasp at and was forced to face her own shortcomings and admit she was wrong. It was going to prove difficult but a greater force within her pushed her toward the higher road. Even more than admitting she was wrong to other people, Lizzie found it difficult admitting she was wrong to herself. Once that mountain was climbed, the others didn't seem so hard.

She spent a good half an hour staring at her phone, willing herself to make the call.

She contemplated the time but knew that he would probably still be at work (she was at Pemberely Digital long enough to know that he almost never went home).

She argued to herself that maybe sleep would do her good and, in the end, help her muster up the courage that she was obviously lacking. But she knew that she was procrastinating. If she didn't do it now she would put it off for too long and that was not acceptable. After all, she had a thesis to finish and couldn't have this weighing down on her at the same time.

Lizzie took a deep, shaky breath then said into her phone, "Domino, call William Darcy". She was so nervous that Domino, regardless of its many capabilities and brilliant software, could not decipher what had just come out of her mouth.

"Shit! Come on Lizzie get over yourself", her pep talk-and the fear of looking like even more of an idiot through the camera- willed her to pull herself together and speak clear enough for the App to register what she had asked of it.

She had decided that after five rings (yes, she was counting) she would hang up and try again later.

1st ring... _Okay, you are okay, you can do this._

2nd ring... _What if he is sleeping...what if I wake him up?! Oh I should have waited until morning._

3rd ring... _Too late now, I guess. If he is sleeping, this has probably already disturbed him and I will just look like a complete idiot if I hang up now._

4th ring..._Oh my god, what if he doesn't want to talk to me and he is screening my call and I am just making a total fool of myself!_

She quickly spits out something along the lines of "Domino, end call" but, once again, it doesn't register her command.

"CRAP!" she yells, putting the phone down beside her to avoid throwing it in frustration.

Half way through cursing the app, herself and her nerves (ugh, she HATED sounding like her mother) she hears a deep, tired and surprised voice come through the phone, "Lizzie?"

Stunned silent, Lizzie takes a moment to register that William Darcy has, in fact, answered her call and she is not at all as composed as she wanted to be.

_So much for not looking like an idiot._

"Lizzie, are you there?" she heard him say again, this time a little more panicked.

_It's now or never_, she thought to herself as she quickly gained back some control and picked up the phone.

For a moment, she paused at the sight of him. It was clear he was still at work, in his office at Pemberely (She smiled inwardly at how well she had come to know him). His tie was loose around his neck and the top button of his dress shirt was undone. He looked positively exhausted, rather confused and slightly concerned.

Lizzie couldn't help noticing (and fixating on) how good looking he was. All in three seconds she noticed his slightly dishevelled nature from burning the midnight oil, how his lips parted slightly as he awaited her response and how—even through the phone— his crystal blue eyes could fixate on her and pierce through the many walls she put up as defence. Against what, she didn't know any more.

Noticing the awkward silence that had developed since she picked up the phone, Lizzie kicked herself inwardly as she forced out words.

"Hi Darc…uh… William!" she stammered, trying to sound cheery enough to let him know that there was no need to be concerned. This worked, though he still did look very confused. "I… um... I realize this is very untoward, given the hour but I was just…um…thinking about you and, well, I couldn't sleep and I... I just really needed to talk...if that's okay, I mean if you aren't too busy",

_Wrap it up, Bennet_, she urged herself as she continued to ramble on,

"I mean, I know you are working but... I...um, is that okay?"

Though still looking slightly confused, Lizzie noticed the corners of his mouth turn up slightly as he spoke.

William replied tentatively, "It's no interruption at all Lizzie. And, no I'm not busy at all. I always have time for you." His smile grew slightly as if to settle her, but it didn't.

Instead, his words made her nerves flutter in anticipation— _He always has time for me. _The thought made her heart swell but she pushed it down almost as quickly as it came up, noting that he is most likely just being a good friend.

Scratch that, a great friend.

This caused a pang of guilt in to emerge her gut once again, remembering the reason she had called.

She smiled back at him shyly as she tried to choose her words wisely. _Why didn't I think this through?_ She thought indignantly as she searched for the right opener.

"Thanks"

_Thanks? THANKS?! That's the best you can do? You are a grad student for Christ sakes, communication is your thing and the best you can come up with is "Thanks"!?_

Her internal grudge match with herself seemed to show through on her face as William's eyebrows lifted expectantly. She bet he never thought he would be in a conversation where he had the better social skills.

"What is it you wanted to talk about, Lizzie?" he offered light-heartedly.

"I just wanted… um... thank you, I guess?"

_You guess? What are you doing, Lizzie?_

"Lydia told me what you did" she stated slowly, forcing herself to look at him even though it was the last place she want to be looking right now. There was just something about the way that he looked back at her that caused her to lose focus of the purpose of this excruciating conversation.

Noting the look on his face that said disappointment and irritation with her baby sister, Lizzie quickly added.

"She kind of had to, I mean, I was telling her that I was going to watch GiGi's videos demonstrating Domino… which is excellent by the way, great work!" she added quickly with a big smile outwardly and a snarky comment to herself inward, "and she ended up telling me because she didn't want me to find out through the internet. Please, don't be mad at her."

As he considered this, she quickly added,

"I just don't understand why you didn't want me to know?"


	2. Chapter 2

It's 1:30 a.m.

He is still at work.

Rubbing his eyes free of sleep, William blinks at his computer screen. He has been staring at the e-mail for over half an hour and has read it about five times but he still has no idea who sent it let alone what it entailed.

It has been a long time since William let himself get preoccupied with anything other than work or Gigi. When his parents died so suddenly, so tragically, he was forced into adulthood without say. Of course, he felt it his obligation to step up to the plate and take over…well… everything, (this was to eventually happen anyway) but he was not as ready as he had hoped to be. He struggled at first but, really, who wouldn't.

He fought with his Aunt Catherine to keep Gigi with him in San Francisco rather than have her shipped to some boarding school hundreds of miles away. She argued that he didn't understand the responsibility that came with raising a teenage girl, one grieving nonetheless. He argued that Gigi was his rock, the only thing holding him together, and he hers. To separate them now would only have a negative outcome. To this, Aunt Catherine could not argue. She begrudgingly dropped the matter and (for the most part) allowed William full control over his and Gigi's life.

William would argue that, regardless of the multiple difficulties he had with Gigi over the past couple of years, suddenly becoming head of a company was definitely harder. Once he finished his degree at Harvard, he was basically shoved into his CEO chair where he was confronted with a mix of pity and doubt by the rest of the board members. They all expected him to fail, without question.

But William was a Darcy and Darcy's work best under pressure.

He worked himself to bone, burning the candle at both ends, putting in more hours than anyone else—all while having regular dinners with Gigi and attending her tennis meets and so on. He proved the board wrong and gained the much earned respect he deserved.

This mentality did not wear off. Though his work ethic began as a means of proving himself, William quickly learned that immersing himself in his work and in Gigi's life was a great distraction from everything he didn't want to think about—his parents, George Wickham…Lizzie Bennet .

He is trying desperately to give her some space, let her deal with her personal issues without him getting in the way. But this was proving difficult. Never before has work failed him as a means of distraction. Her videos were the biggest part of the problem. How could he avoid thinking of her when her beautiful face and charming personality were readily available to him through the click of a button?

He starts to doze off at his desk as he gives in and lets her invade his thoughts, dreaming of their short time together and replaying the images of her over and over in his mind.

He wakes up abruptly to the sound of his phone ringing. Looking at the clock, he notices it is now 1:45 and panics, wondering who would call him this late. As he hurriedly picks up his phone, thinking the worst, he sees her picture ID and his breath hitches in his throat.

He was not expecting this.

He starts to wonder why she may be calling. Was she in trouble? Was she hurt? Was she drunk? Maybe she pocket dialled him? Maybe Lydia was playing a prank on him?

He snapped back into focus, realizing the phone had been ringing for a while now.

He calmed himself slightly, "Domino, answer call" he stated, still nervous about what he was to find on the other end.

The screen was black but he could hear her, slightly muffled, swearing to herself about something he couldn't quite make out.

"Lizzie?" he says tentatively, confused about what was happening on her end of the call.

Everything went silent for a moment and William furrowed his brow, waiting for something from her.

After a while of waiting, he says "Lizzie, are you there?"

He hears the shuffle of the phone being picked up and her face comes into view.

She is flustered and red, looking embarrassed, nervous and apologetic all at the same time. William takes in the sight of her, adding to his bank of memories. Her red hair is wavy and unkempt. She wore no make-up and has on what seems to be an oversized t-shirt that is fringing around the neck. He thinks that he never saw her look more beautiful. She is biting her lip as she leans against the wall behind her bed. It was at this point William realizes that she is, in fact, in bed and has to push away the thought of her biting his lip before he loses focus of reality.

She smiles quickly and greets him, breaking the silence. William allows himself to relax as he notices she is smiling but remains confused as to the nature of the call.

_She is so nervous_, he thinks to himself, _Lizzie Bennet is never nervous_.

As she rambles on William listens intently while also trying to understand what she is saying and what she is not saying. Whatever it is, it is making her uncomfortable. This really is a side of her he has never seen before.

He smiles at her assuredly as he informs her that she can confide in him anytime, hoping to ease her mind and help her along with whatever she wants to say.

To say that he is unhappy with Lydia about telling Lizzie what he had done would be a slight understatement.

_I asked her for one thing_, he thinks as he clenches his jaw and furrows his brow in annoyance.

But he really can't stay angry with Lydia.

Knowing that Lizzie would have been mad—no scratch that— **livid** at them if she found out through Gigi's videos, William mentally forgives her for breaking their promise.

It is Lizzie's next question that he is not prepared for.

"I just don't understand why you didn't want me to know?" he watches her say, looking at him expectantly and slightly hurt.

He panics slightly as he considers how to proceed. He really didn't want to have this conversation on the phone.


	3. Chapter 3

Lizzie stared at him expectantly, waiting for his reply. She didn't know what she wanted from his answer but she wanted it nonetheless.

"Believe me when I say, Lizzie, I only included the people most necessary to the task at hand," William began hurriedly, "Fitz has the connections I needed. Gigi… well Gigi gave me no choice, you saw that in her Domino videos. Lydia… I felt it necessary to ask her permission before gaining full rights to her video. Also, I thought she would like to be the one to personally dispose of them." As he finished this last statement, he looked up at her face waiting for a reaction. She seemed to be mulling over what he had just said allowing for a silence that left him feeling uncomfortable. "I really didn't want to get anyone else involved…" he trailed off, unsuccessfully alleviating the awkward silence.

Lizzie remained silent, nodding as he spoke. Truth be told, she didn't care about this. She asked him as a means of diverting the real issue. She wanted to know why he did it, not why he didn't tell her.

Lizzie was sure that the answer to this question would cure her anxiety and allow her some peace of mind so she threw caution to the wind and barely whispered "But why?"

Noting his confusion, she calmed herself, fixed her gaze on him and asked more clearly "Why did you…why would you go to all of this trouble?"

This is what William had been afraid of. He looked at her expecting face and his heart raced. Of course it was for her, all of it, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her this. The thought of opening himself up to her once more terrified him and he knew he couldn't handle her rejection for the second time.

"I… I just…um" He couldn't think of how to answer her. He didn't want to lie to her but he also couldn't tell her the truth. He could feel breath quicken under the pressure of her stare.

Not knowing what else to do, he quickly flipped open his pocket watch and said "You know what, it's getting really late and I still have to get home, do you think we can continue this conversation another time?"

"Oh… yeah…yeah, of course. We will continue another time." She was disappointed to say the least.

"Okay then, goodnight Lizzie" He said, forcing what he hoped was a warm and reassuring smile on his face.

"Goodnight William" she returned, her smile less reassuring that his. This conversation did not go as she wanted at all. "Wait!" she said quickly before he ended the call. William looked at her, eyebrows raised. "I just wanted you to know that I… just, thank-you. Regardless of why—and I still want to know why—but I want you to know that we are so appreciative for what you did. You have no idea how much it means… to us." _To me_, she added in thought.

He smiled shyly at her, "You are most welcome, Lizzie. And we will discuss this more, I promise." She nodded and ended the call, maintaining her smile until she was sure she was out of sight.

Darcy swore loudly as he threw his phone on his desk. _Smooth_, he thought to himself as he considered the nonchalant we he avoided her question entirely.

He needed to fix this immediately but how could he answer her question? His mind was at war with itself. One part of him knew the only way to answer her was with the truth—to tell her that he had done everything for her.

However, the other part made the equally convincing argument that the last time he opened up and was honest with Lizzie Bennet she ripped his heart into tiny little pieces.

No matter how hard he tried, the prospect of being rejected by her again was too much for him to handle and side two of his brain remained reigning champ of this ongoing argument.

After much debate, he decided to confide in Gigi. As much as he hated her meddling and matchmaking, Darcy knew she was the only one who knew him well enough to set him straight. The idea of confiding in his little sister on such a personal matter did not do much by the way of consoling Darcy, but it did put his inner war to rest.

Replaying the events of their conversation, she cursed her sudden awkwardness. _So much for curing my anxiety_, Lizzie thought as she tossed her phone in frustration and buried her face in her hands. She groaned at the thought of her rambling in tandem with his confused look, _Ugh, he probably thinks I'm an idiot!_

Needless to say, the conversation didn't go as she had planned…then again, she didn't really plan anything so that was to be expected. Why did he have to look so damn hot? Lizzie was convinced this was part of the problem. Her last memory of him had obviously failed her as it really didn't do him justice.

She shook her head trying desperately to focus back on their conversation and not on the brand new fantasy of unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. The tie really worked for him but there was something to be said about William Darcy with an open collar.

She bit her lip at the thought, _FOCUS LIZZIE_!

Regaining control, she considered the end of their conversation. Did he really have to go or was he avoiding the question? If he was avoiding the question, why? Why couldn't he tell her why he had helped them? This phone call ended up causing more confusion than anything.

But he did promise that they would talk more about it later which meant two things for Lizzie:

will finally be able get the answers she wants and needs to move forward and figure out how to make it up to him.

AND

2. She, somehow, has to pull herself together enough to have a coherent conversation with the man

A repeat of today's conversation was not an option and so Lizzie decided to she needed help. She needed someone to talk to, someone to give her advice on how to approach the delicate subject and not make herself look like a complete ass.

She needed Charlotte.

Of course admitting her feelings for Darcy to her bestie leaves her subject to endless "I told you so's" but Lizzie would just have to grin and bear it because only Charlotte would tell her what she needed to hear, whether or not she wanted to hear it.

At 2:15 a.m., Lizzie **finally** convinced herself to get some sleep with the prospect of talking to Charlotte tomorrow. Whether or not Darcy and his tie (or lack thereof) would find his way into her dreams, she could not say but she could hope couldn't she?


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey all! Thank you so much for your great comments and reviews, it makes my day to read them! Please continue to R&R and I will love you forever :D Enjoy.**

* * *

It took all of ten seconds for Charlotte to realize something was up.

Seriously, she's a freaking ninja.

She waltzed into Lizzie's room, crashed on the bed, and greeted her bestie. She then squinted at her in speculation and asked what was wrong.

Ten seconds.

Girl's got a gift.

Lizzie rolled her eyes. Of course Charlotte was going to know, Charlotte **always **knows.

"Oh, no wait! Let me guess," she continued with a smirk on her face, mocking concentration and tapping her finger on her chin, "it has something to do with the deep state of denial you are in regarding a certain bowtie wearing CEO."

See, this is what she was trying to avoid.

"Ugh, I hate you and your ninja perception powers" Lizzie whined, defeated.

She didn't stand a chance.

She slumped down on the bed beside her bestie and rested her head on her shoulder pathetically.

"I don't know what I'm doing anymore Char. I need clarification and I needed it, like, yesterday but I just feel stuck. He makes me so confused!"

"Well that's what you get, Lizzie." Charlotte laughed as she caught the complete look of betrayal that had appeared on Lizzie's face. "What? Don't look at me like that. Think about it Lizzie, he has spent over a year in this same state. You have been in it for what? A month, tops? It's about time you shared in some of the pain."

Lizzie whimpered melodramatically and placed her hands over her face. So far, Charlotte was not helping.

"So are we going to sit her all day while you feel sorry for yourself or are you going to tell me what happened with Darcy?" Charlotte asked half impatiently and half bemused

Lizzie took a deep breath and started from them beginning with her and Lydia's conversation and Lydia's confession about what really happened with the sex tape. Charlotte listened carefully as Lizzie relayed her conversation with Darcy, nodding, gasping, and rolling her eyes in all the right places.

When she was done, Lizzie was greeted with an unexpected silence.

"Wow, Charlotte Lu without a witty remark, I never thought I would see the day." Lizzie teased as her best friend thought over what she had just been told.

"Haha, very funny." She rolled her eyes and continued, not to be deterred. "But seriously, Lizzie, what exactly were you expecting from this conversation? Because, your motives and actions don't exactly line up. You said you were calling him for clarification, but considering the giant pile of nerves you crumpled into, it's almost as if you were expecting another confession of love or some… oh my god, you were so expecting another love confession!" Charlotte shook her head in disbelief, shuffling through the comments she could make, selecting ones that would bother Lizzie the most.

"Well… I mean… I don't know what I was expecting!" Lizzie exclaimed trying desperately to defend herself. "I wasn't expecting an 'I love you most ardently, Lizzie' or anything like that." She hated this vulnerability. As much as she wanted Charlotte's help, Lizzie wasn't sure she even knew what she was asking for help with.

Still smirking, Charlotte decided to give Lizzie a break—a small break, but a break nonetheless—she could tell that this was hard for her, and, not wanting to discourage her best friend's progress, she decided to be helpful rather than judgemental. "Okay, so how about we start from the beginning of your thought process. What we you thinking about when you called Darcy? Maybe your motives for initiating contact will help us in discovering your reasoning"

Lizzie sighed in relief, this is what she needed, pragmatism.

"Well, I was thinking about that bombshell that Lydia dropped on me and I was thinking about how to repay him and then…"

"And then you started to wonder why he did it and it all went downhill from there." Charlotte finished for her with a smirk.

Lizzie bit her lip, nervous about what she was going to say next.

"A part of me… a small part… kind of hoped that he had done it for me. I know, that is so pathetic, but we were getting along so well at Pemberely and he invited me to that play and I wasn't sure if it was a date or not and then I had to come home and I hadn't heard from him so I don't know." Lizzie took a breath in, recuperating from that sentence.

Charlotte rolled her eyes and laughed. This was not the response Lizzie wanted.

"Thanks for laughing at my pain Char."

"Lizzie, I'm sorry, but you are so short sighted." Noting her confusion, Charlotte took Lizzie's hands and stared at her intently. "I'm going to say this very clearly for you. OF COURSE HE DID IT FOR YOU_. _ I mean honestly Lizzie, I love you but you can be so thick sometimes. It doesn't matter what he told you about his personal vendetta with Wickham or whatever, he didn't have to stop that video from coming out. But he did, and he did it because he couldn't stand to see you upset. I don't know if you watched your last couple of videos, but they were kind of depressing." She added with a smile.

"Okay, but, even if that is all true, why couldn't he just tell me?"

"Do you really think that that man is going to be making any more big gestures to you Lizzie? " mean, you ripped his heart out… publicly, might I add."

"Okay, okay! I get it. I was a bitch, thank you Charlotte."

Silence fell between the two friends.

Charlotte was sure there was nothing else she could say to help her best friend make up her mind and so decided this was the end of her advice giving. There is only so many times you can relay the same information to a person before it becomes counterproductive.

Lizzie realized that she had nothing else to argue against. She had no points, nothing palpable that she could grab onto and stubbornly use as a defense mechanism against the truth.

Here it was, the point of acceptance, the point where Lizzie Bennett finally fully accepted her feelings for William Darcy. She felt a mixture of relief and nausea. What was she going to do about it?

As if reading her mind, Charlotte smiled at her victory and patted Lizzie on the back. "I think it's your turn for the grand gesture don't you think bestie?"

Lizzie nodded tentatively, swallowing her fear and picking up her phone. The next train to San Francisco left at 9:00 tonight and she would be on it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! Thank-you for reading and following and reviewing, you are all so lovely! Please keep it up, you have no idea how much I appreciate it and it really keeps me going. Please do not be afraid to criticize or share how you think the story might/should go. I can take it, I promise!**

**Also, I'm (clearly) unbeta'd so if I make mistakes, I apologize and do not be afraid to correct me.**

**Yours, **

**Tanningintheenglishrain**

* * *

William paced back and forth in his office rehearsing what he wanted to ask his sister.

Gigi was a tough audience.

True to little siblings everywhere, she teased and tormented where she could, reveling in his awkwardness and social anxiety. All of this to a certain extent, of course, Gigi was in no way malicious just… a pain.

For good measure he prepared himself for the inevitable jabs she would take at him. He hoped for a mature conversation but he knew her well enough that even if she was trying to be helpful she wouldn't be able to help herself when it came to tormenting her big brother.

He was nervous.

Why was he so nervous?

It's just Gigi, he thought to himself, what's the worst thing she could say?

He hated to be teased and Gigi knew that—it is precisely why she did it. Even more, Gigi knew she was the only one who could get away with it which made it even worse. But there was something more, something that bothered William more than the prospect of being laughed at.

It irked him to think about confiding in his little sister about his love life. She was his baby sister. She should be coming to him for advice, not the other way around. Going to Gigi with this was a huge blow to his ego and bothered him more than the prospect of being teased.

He would talk to her tonight, after dinner.

Before dinner?

No. After dinner.

She is always cranky when she's hungry and William wanted her full and undivided attention for this.

* * *

He was pacing again.

Back and forth, back and forth. It was an unspoken mantra to ease his mind. It's what he did best.

Meanwhile, Gigi was growing impatient.

She knew what this was about.

There was only one thing that could make her brother this uneasy and it was Lizzie Bennet.

Growing restless after what seemed like an hour of pacing (_back and forth, back and forth_) Gigi lost it.

"Oh my God, William, you either talk to me right now or I'm leaving and never helping you again."

William looked sternly at his sister. "I just want to ensure that I am remembering every detail correctly so as to get the best advice from you Georgiana, there is no need to throw a temper tantrum."

Gigi rolled her eyes at his use of her full name.

_Oh that's right, William, be condescending. That's really helping your cause._

He finally sat down across from her, ready to speak. He told her about the sudden phone call, Lizzie's out of character behaviour and his dilemma about how much information to give her.

When he finished he looked as though he was still concentrating, desperately hoping to find an easy answer to his questions.

It was all Gigi could do to stop herself from laughing. Was he serious? He really couldn't figure this one out?

She stared at him in utter disbelief. He really couldn't be in this much denial could he?

He looked up at her expectantly, waiting for a response of any kind. The one he got, however, was not the one he had wanted.

Gigi couldn't hold it in any more. She burst into a fit of giggles to which William did not respond well. "See, Gigi, this is why I don't come to you for things like this. I was hoping we could have a mature conversation but it seems I was mistaken." William got up to leave but Gigi pulled herself together quickly enough to stop him.

"Wait! Wait, William, please. I'm sorry, okay. I'm really very truly sorry, I shouldn't have laughed. It was very, very immature of me." She was trying her best to give her most serious face.

"May I ask what is so funny about what I just told you?"

"It's not the story that's funny, William, it's your reaction to it. I just really can't believe this is so difficult for you to figure out."

William looked at her blankly, "I'm sorry, I don't follow."

Gigi shook her head and rolled her eyes. How could someone this smart be so incredibly thick? "William, listen to me very carefully. Firstly, Lizzie Bennet is in love with you."

She let that statement resonate with him a moment.

"Secondly, she called you because she needs clarification of your feelings. You two were growing really close while she was at Pemberely and I'm sure that you haven't contacted her since so she must be confused."

She watched as her brother furrowed his brow slightly as he contemplated what she was saying, clearly fighting against whether or not he believed her.

"And thirdly, she wants to hear that you did everything with George and the video for her. She will never admit that but trust me when I tell you that is what she is hoping for. So, in answer to your last question, yes you should tell her…But in a humble confession of love and admiration kind of way."

Gigi offered her brother a reassuring smile as if to clarify the truth of what she had just told him but she could still see him fighting it.

He spoke hesitantly. "Okay. Let's say I believe what you say, I fly down to see her, I tell her I still love her and that everything I have done was for her and she rejects me. Again. What then, Gigi? Because I don't think I will be able to come back from that."

"So sitting here in denial and confusion is your better alternative?" She was starting to get irritated with him.

"That is why I came to _you_ Gigi! I can't live like this anymore but I also can't take that risk either." He looked absolutely exhausted and Gigi started to soften her demeanor.

"William" she started slowly, "you know your relationship with Lizzie has changed. It's not the same as it was last fall. You both have changed in so many ways. It will be different this time."

"She may not hate me anymore, but that doesn't mean she loves me. Her rejection may not be as harsh as it was last fall but it will be a rejection nonetheless."

"Okay, so you need some reassurance! How about we approach this a different way? Instead of making this huge confession of love and longing, you take things a little slower."

William looked slightly confused. This already seemed to be moving at a glacial pace and she wanted it to go slower?

"Start off where you ended at Pemberely." She continued. "I can invite her here to hang out with me and she will be here to visit Charlotte…Ooooh! I know, we can invite her to the Domino launch party!" she exclaimed with a happy smile.

"Gigi, that's tomorrow. It would be an inconvenience to ask her to come out here on such short notice and, it's Lizzie, she would never let us pay for her trip."

"Oh… yeah. I guess you are right. But still! She will have plenty of opportunities to come here and you go and stay at Netherfield for 'business purposes'." Gigi was loving this idea. It not only catered to her brother's anxieties but allowed her to play matchmaker and pull the puppet strings a little while longer.

"And so you will have time to court her properly…sweep her off her feet and all that." Gigi was absolutely giddy. She was a matchmaking genius.

William thought about this plan carefully. It was filled with many holes and potential downfalls but it was certainly better than the alternative. He took a deep breath, "Okay, where do I begin."

Gigi squealed and clapped her hands together—she loved a good plan.

"Okay, so first things first, you are going to have to call her back. When she asks you why you bought out the company, all you are going to tell her is that you couldn't stand to see her and her family so upset. Make sure to include her family in that, it makes it a little less personal. Then you can change the subject and mention how much I miss her and how I mentioned that I wanted to invite her and Lydia up here for a weekend. I really want to meet Lydia and I really want to see her so no one is lying." She added quickly as she could read the concern on his face. "You can set a date for her to come out and the plan will commence!"

She beamed at her brother, clearly proud of herself.

Of course, William knew that the conversation would not go this easily and that it had many potential pitfalls but he was out of options. It was this or his current state of relationship limbo. He nodded in agreement to her plan which elicited another squeal from Gigi.

"Okay, so you are going to call her. **Tonight**." William looked as though he was going to protest this when she cut him off. "Don't argue with me William Darcy, you are not and have never been a procrastinator and you sure as hell are not becoming one. You will call her tonight and that is final."

Gigi got up and walked away from him before he could respond. It seems he had no choice in the matter.

Now to pace once more in preparation for his upcoming phone call.


	6. Chapter 6

**So, I know I posted a chapter yesterday but I have been on a writing streak and so TA DA! A whole other chapter, just for you! :) I have received such great reviews from the last chapter and it makes me so happy so please keep it up! And, as always R&R to your hearts content.**

**P.S. I would love to hear from some new people, so even if you don't have a comment just come and say hi!**

**Yours,**

**Tanningintheenglishrain**

* * *

She was technically done her thesis.

Technically meaning she had done all of the research and wrote draft after draft until coming to the copy she now had saved to her computer (as well as three backups… just in case).

So yes, one could say Lizzie Bennet is done graduate school.

If only she would hand it in.

She didn't know why she found turning in her thesis so difficult. She should be throwing it at Dr. Gardiner, thanking the gods above it was finally done and over with. She should be celebrating with her friends and family and enjoying the down time before she has to get a job.

But she couldn't.

As much as Lizzie felt as though she was at a standstill while the world around her moved forward, the prospect of finally joining that movement was terrifying. She wasn't sure she was ready.

She wasn't sure she could _move_.

And so, Lizzie spent her time on the train to San Francisco reading over her thesis yet again.

She rubbed her eyes free of sleep and picked up her phone to check if she had any messages.

_Shit, it's dead. How long has it been dead for! _

She scolded herself. After the Wickham incident, Lizzie wanted to make sure that she was in constant communication with her family. She was fearful of the idea of being unreachable.

She searched through her bag for her phone charger but it was not to be found.

_FUCK! I would forget my phone charger when I need my phone the most. How am I supposed to get a hold of Gigi tomorrow? What if Lydia is trying to call_?

Burying her head in her hands, Lizzie lectured herself internally. This was a very bad start to an already stressful trip.

_Okay, plan. How to get a hold of…everyone._

She decided to send Charlotte and Lydia a quick email, explaining her self-inflicted misfortune and gave them the information of the hotel she was staying at. If there was an emergency, they could contact her there. Everything else could be dealt with through email.

She would have to pick up a charger tomorrow morning and call Gigi then.

She decided calling Gigi was best. She clearly couldn't handle basic phone etiquette when talking to Darcy so Gigi was the more efficient alternative.

God, she couldn't even talk to him on the phone and she wanted to talk to him in person?

It took everything she could not to think about her upcoming visit with Darcy.

She had a plan of course; she wasn't going to wing this one like she had the last conversation.

Like Charlotte said, it was her turn for the grand gesture. The whole situation would leave her emotionally open and exposed in a way that terrified her to the core.

But, had he not done the same for her? And on the internet in front of thousands of viewers no less?

Her plan was not so much a plan as it was guidelines for how she wanted to approach the meeting. She didn't want any of it to seem scripted, staged or rehearsed. She wanted it to be natural.

She was going to call Gigi and tell her what she had planned to do.

Gigi would be over the moon and would no doubt go on about how she called it and how if it wasn't for her and Fitz intervening they would never be there today.

But Lizzie was ready to endure it because Gigi granted her access to William.

She would ensure the he and Lizzie have a private moment to talk, in which Lizzie would tell him not to speak until she was done. She would pour her whole heart into her speech about how wrong she was and how much of an idiot she was and how so much has changed. She would tell him that she loved him, most ardently, and that she would understand if he didn't feel the same way anymore. But she hoped that he did.

Regardless of what his reply might be, Lizzie knew that she owed this to both herself and William. He had already made his feelings clear to her once and now it was her turn.

She had to prepare herself to the prospect of her rejection.

He might not feel the same way.

How would she react?

_With dignity_, she hoped.

She would understand, thank him for his time and walk out with her head held high.

The pain may be unbearable but at least she would know. At least it would be resolved and they could both move on.

Thinking about this made her heart hurt. _God, Lizzie, it hasn't even happened yet and you are already in pain_, she thought to herself.

_Imagine how he felt,_ another part of her psyche chimed in.

That thought was enough to keep her on track. She would do this, no matter what the outcome.

But that was enough thought about her impending relationship status.

For now, all Lizzie had was her thesis.

He had received about ten text messages within the last half an hour, all from Gigi who was growing impatient with him once again.

**Gigi:** Have you called her yet William?

**William:** No, Gigi. I'm finishing some paperwork and then I will call her. About 20 minutes.

Exactly twenty minutes passed when he received the next text message.

**Gigi:** Call her…NOW.

**William:** Punctual as always Gigi.

**Gigi:** William! Stop wasting my time and call her already.

**William:** And how do you suppose I call her when I am so busy texting you dear sister?

**Gigi:** Don't get smart with me William, call her or I'll come over there and do it myself.

**William: **You would come all the way back to Pemberely Digital to make a phone call for me?

**Gigi:** Not just any phone call, dear brother. Only ones that greatly affects your future happiness. :)

**William: **Your support is greatly appreciated Gigi.

**Gigi:** Yes, yes, I know, I'm the greatest. CALL. HER. NOW. Do not respond to this, just make the call. Good luck, William. And remember, chin out. ;)

Darcy shook his head as he read the last text from Gigi. A receding chin was to be the least of his worries.

He had gone over how he wants this conversation to go. Just like Gigi said, he would tell her that he felt responsible for Wickham and, as a result, felt responsible for her family's melancholic state. He needed to remedy a situation he felt partially responsible for.

None of this was a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth. Maybe he would tell her someday, but today was not that day.

He would turn the conversation over to Gigi and her wanting to meet Lydia, considering what they had in common and invite both sisters to San Francisco for a weekend on his sister's behalf.

He would work on their relationship from there, asking her out on dates (maybe another play) and taking it from there.

As much as he wanted more, Darcy was willing to go back to the beginning and work from the ground up because Lizzie was worth it.

He took a breath in and stared at his phone intently before saying, "Domino, call Lizzie Bennet."

He felt as though he sounded strangely confident and, for the first time, he felt like he was going to be able to maintain an actual conversation with her.

That is, until a notice from Domino appeared that read "Call could not be completed, Lizzie Bennet is offline."

Offline?

Maybe her phone was off? Or maybe she didn't want to be reached?

William tried once more, but got the same outcome.

He wasn't exactly relieved but he wasn't upset either. Confident or not, he was nervous about how their conversation could have gone. Lizzie always had a way of misunderstanding him.

What disappointed him the most was that he would not be able to see her face. It is what he had been looking forward to the most about this call.

**William:** Tried calling but she is offline, I will try again on Sunday.

**Gigi:** Sunday? William, you are procrastinating!

**William:** No, Gigi, I'm being practical. We have the Domino launch party tomorrow so I will be busy with that all day. It makes more sense to call her on Sunday when I won't be subject to interruptions.

**Gigi:** Ugh, alright fine. But you will call her first thing on Sunday. I will be there to make sure of it!

**William:** Whatever you say, dear sister.

**Gigi:** Good night, William.

**William:** Good night G.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey all! So I suck, I know, I'm sorry! This has taken me so long and I am just so happy it's done :) You have no idea how much I LOVED all of your comments, they made my day so please keep 'em coming! I hope you enjoy and new update will be coming shortly (for realsies this time).**

* * *

She woke up, groggily, to pitch darkness.

_What? Where the hell am I?_

It took a few seconds for her memory to jog_. Oh, right, train…San Francisco…hotel._

She rolled out of bed and opened the opaque curtains to reveal a very, very bright sun.

Squinting in discomfort, Lizzie fell back onto the surprisingly comfortable bed and went over her itinerary for the day.

_Shower, change, hair/ makeup, eat, phone charger, text Gigi. Shouldn't take too long, it's only…WHAT!?_

It was 2:00 p.m. _How did I sleep until 2:00 p.m.? _She hadn't slept in past ten since she started grad school. Scolding herself for relying on her phone as her alarm clock, Lizzie rolled out of bed. She had hoped to get up, take her time and prepare herself as much as possible before she actually had to go through with anything. Now, with this new timeframe, Lizzie found herself scrambling to complete what she had set out to do.

She jumped out of bed and into the shower. Half an hour later she was showered and shaved, quaffed and combed to the best of her ability. She quickly ran out and picked up a new phone charger as well as a latte and a muffin at the nearest coffee shop. She had done all of this in a little less than an hour. To say she was impressed with herself would be an understatement.

As she plugged in her phone and turned it on, she hoped that Gigi would not have plans already. The last thing she needed was to be stuck as a big ball of nerves for yet another night. No, this was not an option. Lizzie decided that even if Gigi had plans, she would have to cancel them because, really, how often does Lizzie Bennet make impromptu trips to San Francisco?

More importantly, how often does Lizzie Bennet admit she was wrong and confess her love for someone?

Pretty much never.

So it was settled, Gigi had no choice.

Lizzie picked up her phone, tapped on Domino and said "Domino, call Gigi Darcy."

One and a half rings were all it took for Gigi to answer.

"Lizzie, hey! What a coincidence we were just talking about you," Gigi stated with a sneaky grin.

"Hey, Gigi! What do you mean we?"

She saw the fro first, then the smile. _Of course… who else_, Lizzie laughed to herself.

"Hey Hey, Lizzie B! How are you?"

"I'm doing … great…thanks! How about you?" She tried her best to sound convincing and added what felt like a very fake smile at the end.

It hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Well, that was convincing. Care to share what's on your mind Lizzie?" Gigi asked, her voice laced with a false sweetness.

_How do they already know? Seriously… am I really that obtuse?_

"Can't a girl just want to chat with her very good friends who she hasn't spoken to in a while?" Lizzie said, even more unconvincingly.

"Not when she just had a very strange an uncharacteristic conversation with her "good friend's" older brother, she can't." Gigi replied smugly.

Watching the carefree façade lift from Lizzie's face was priceless. Gigi could barely contain herself.

"He told you about that?" She was worried. _Oh shit…. Oh shit, shit, shit!_

"Oh, Lizzie, don't worry! My brother is more thick headed than even I ever thought possible. He didn't even notice the ridiculously unsubtle hints you were dropping" Gigi's smirk grew as she watched Lizzie's jaw open and close in protest, clearly fighting an internal battle. "Wha…I… I wasn't…"

"Oh, save it Lizzie. The both of you are so hard headed and frankly we," she said pointing to herself and Fitz, "are tired of standing around and watching you two talk yourself out of what is clearly right in front of you."

Gigi wasn't angry, she was stern. Lizzie felt as though she was a young child being scolded for misbehaving. She felt it safer to let Gigi continue her lecture before saying anything more.

"Listen Lizzie, my brother is not going to make the first move, not after the last time…well, let's just say he's wounded." Lizzie winced at the memory but Gigi carried on with an amused Fitz beside her, "You need to get over yourself, get to San Francisco and tell him how you feel! I will arrange for your flight if need be, I will make reservations, I will… what? What is so funny?"

Lizzie was laughing so uncontrollably that Gigi and Fitz exchanged concerned looks, worrying about her sanity.

"I…I'm sorry… I just… I just can't believe how ridiculous it is that I have missed something that is so…so clear to _literally_ everyone else. I've been so blind, it's almost embarrassing." Getting herself under control, Lizzie continued. "Charlotte gave me the same advice. I arrived in San Francisco last night." Now it was Lizzie's turn to enjoy the shocked looked on their faces.

"You're….you're here!?" Gigi let out such a loud squeal that Fitz covered his ears and Lizzie adjusted the volume on her phone.

Laughing, she replied, "Yes, Gigi, I'm here."

Taking a deep breath she continued. "It's actually why I'm calling. I kinda need your matchmaking expertise…" she trailed off knowing she did not need to say any more. Gigi and Fitz were already planning.

As far as elaborate planning goes, this was far from it. After about 15 minutes of what seemed like Gigi and Fitz talking in code, it was decided that Lizzie would come over for dinner that night where she would show up, seemingly to spend time with Gigi, all the while surprising Darcy with her presence. There, Gigi would leave them alone to talk.

To be honest, she was kind of disappointed. The plan was rather simple and very unlike team FiGi. But who was she to argue with simplicity? Maybe they were toning down the evil masterminding because Lizzie was in on it?

Or maybe, unbeknownst to Lizzie, she wasn't quite in on it herself.

Gigi ended her call with Lizzie and, in turn, wiped the sweet and innocent smile she had on her face replacing it with a conniving one.

"So, do you want to explain to me how Lizzie is supposed to come over for an intimate dinner with Darcy when there will be a huge party going on around them?" Fitz asked the still smirking Gigi, eyebrows raised.

As her smirk grew wider Fitz shook his head, "You better tell me what you're planning Gigi D because I want in!"

Gigi laughed at his enthusiasm. "Well, I was thinking of just inviting Lizzie to the Domino launch party, even before she made this impromptu trip, but William made a good point about her not wanting to impose, and we both know she would decline if we invited her. So, I just found a way to get her here without any protest." She smiled at her own brilliance.

"Oh this is perfect! We can grab her as soon as she arrives and make her over. Darcy won't know what hit him." Fitz replied, matching Gigi's level of excitement.

"You know me so well." Gigi replied smiling adoringly at her partner in crime, "Now, come on, we need to find her the most perfect dress!"

Gigi sent a car for Lizzie to her hotel to ensure she arrived at six o'clock on the dot.

As she pulled up to the Darcy household, the first thing she noticed was the enormity of the estate. It was breathtaking. Literally. It was at this moment that she forgot how to breathe. _What am I doing here!_

After a mini pep-talk and a text to Gigi, Lizzie stepped out of the car to notice that she was not the only one arriving at the house. If Lizzie didn't know any better, she would say that there was some sort of party going on tonight.

_OH. MY. GOD. I AM GOING TO KILL THOSE TWO! _Lizzie thought as what was happening started to sink in.

She was contemplating getting back in the car and going back to the hotel when she heard Gigi call out for her, "Lizzie! So glad you could come….oh, you are not happy" she added, noting the look on Lizzie's face.

"Gigi, what is going on?" Lizzie demanded, kicking herself for ever thinking that a FiGi plan could be that simple.

"A… party?" Gigi said apologetically. Seeing Lizzie turning around to leave, Gigi ran in front of her, "NO! No, please don't leave. I'm sorry! Really, I didn't want to lie to you but I knew that you wouldn't have come if I told you the truth and you and William really, really need to talk! Please come inside Lizzie, please." Gigi pleaded with her, giving her best puppy dog eyes.

Lizzie took a deep breath in, relenting. "Gigi, I don't even have anything to wear."

Gigi's smirked returned, "Don't you?"


End file.
